Taapsee Pannu’s ‘Gandhari’ in Copyright Controversy

Just days ahead of its release, two different writers have come forward to claim the concept and plot of Gandhari as theirs.

Kathha Pictures, the production house behind Taapsee Pannu’s upcoming Netflix thriller, has unequivocally denied all copyright and plagiarism allegations, stating that the film is an original work penned by Kanika Dhillon. The film is scheduled to be released on September 3.

Writer Kalyan Bandi has claimed that Gandhari’s plot and title strongly resemble a story he authored and registered back in 2019. He stated that the unique connection between the title and the underlying concept was the fruit of his personal creativity. He also alleged that the announcement of the project caused other production houses to back out of ongoing discussions with him, resulting in professional and financial losses.

In a separate claim, Mumbai-based writer Raghav Desai asserted that he had pitched a nearly identical, Mahabharata-inspired script and novella to the makers in 2024. He has sent a legal notice alleging that his core premise and detailed character designs were used without authorisation under Kanika Dhillon’s name.

Kanika Dhillon and Kathha Pictures have reiterated that Gandhari has been independently written and produced by Kanika Dhillon.